LA’s Worst Place for Burglaries Is One of Its Wealthiest

The most dangerous neighborhood in Los Angeles for burglaries is actually one of the priciest enclaves in town, where the median home value is $3.3 million.

Hancock Park, home to actors such as Mindy Kaling, George Takei, and once upon a time the likes of Clark Gable and Mae West, had more burglaries per capita than any other area in the city in the first half of 2018.

According to Los Angeles Police Department data, between January and June, Hancock Park registered 61 burglaries, up from 55 during the same period a year earlier. The neighborhood has a population of around 10,000. That translates roughly to a burglary rate of 570. (The rate is calculated by dividing the number of reports by the population, then multiplying by 100,000.)

Burglaries for the entire city have been dropping slightly over the past year, though the decline has not been steady.

While it tops the list for burglaries per capita, Hancock Park is certainly one of the safest parts of the city. In fact, it can feel like a bunker. Most homes have alarm systems, a few even have their own guards. Private security companies patrol the area.

“Burglary is a problem, but it’s preventable,” says Peter Gorelick, a board member of the Hancock Park Homeowners Association and the chair of its security committee. “It’s usually the result of something someone didn’t do, like turn on an alarm.”

There are other reasons why this neighborhood might top the list. Burglaries in wealthy areas are often more likely to be reported to the police than in poorer areas where the relationship with law enforcement can be more strained. And when it comes to burglaries, there are plenty of well-to-do areas on the list. The adjacent neighborhood, Windsor Square, which includes the official residence of Mayor Eric Garcetti, comes in at No. 3. Cheviot Hills is No. 4.

Here is a list of the top 20 neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles, ranked by burglary rate for the first six months of 2018.

Don’t see your neighborhood on the list? Write to us at askus@xtown.la and we’ll tell you. Or ask us on Twitter at @CrosstownLA.

Neighborhood

Burglary Rate*

2018 (Jan. – Jun.)

2017 (Jan. – Jun.)

Hancock Park

570

61

55

Chesterfield Square

530

44

33

Windsor Square

520

35

44

Cheviot Hills

500

44

47

Leimert Park

500

63

58

Fairfax

440

59

55

Beverly Grove

430

95

111

Venice

430

145

129

Downtown

430

213

209

Hyde Park

410

144

151

Rancho Park

400

22

40

Encino

390

180

162

Harvard Park

390

37

19

West Los Angeles

390

50

46

Beverlywood

370

27

11

Larchmont

370

32

24

Pico Robertson

350

64

39

Gramercy Park

340

36

49

Tarzana

340

127

167

Westchester

320

131

136

*Burglaries per 100,000 residents from January to June 2018.

How we did it: We collect crime reports from LAPD and we sort them by neighborhood. For neighborhood boundaries, we rely on the borders defined by the Los Angeles Times. You can read more about our data and how we use it here and here.